A Second Shot

Burke Siblings #2

by Shannon Stacey

Andi Morgan was the one who got away—the woman Erik Burke walked away from to focus on the game—but when their paths cross once again, all he wants for Christmas is the chance to take another shot at love.

(Previously published in the Hockey Holidays anthology.)

Genres: Contemporary, Second Chance, Romance, Novella, Sports Romance, Sports, Holiday

53 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2018

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her favorite activities are writing romance and really random tweets when she’s not riding her ATV. She loves mud, books, football & watching way too much TV.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for A Second Shot by Shannon Stacey

What a great short read. Wanted to keep reading more about Eric and Andie. So many feels. Can't wait to read more about Eric and Kristen Burke.

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, easy read but I never really got invested in the characters' story. I don't know if that was because of the length or if I just didn't connect but it was simply good without making much of an impression. I love Shannon Stacey's storytelling but with Andi and Erik I didn't really feel much chemistry. They have a second chance romance but they fall back into a relationship so quickly even though Andi is terribly hurt by their breakup. Of course, it's only been about 8 months so neither has moved on emotionally or physically and they still love each other. I think this might be the start of a new series so I'm intrigued but overall I enjoy Stacey's full length novels much more than her novellas.

[Stephanie Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second chance romances always catch my eye when I'm browsing for a new read. While this story had a good premise, in my opinion it ended so quickly that it really didn't have time to fully develop. I would have much preferred this one as a full-length book instead of a novella, as Andie and Erik's story held promise. They were both likeable enough, but you didn't have much of a chance to connect with them because the story was over so fast. I can say that I even though the description of Erik's father was brief, I didn't like him. And where was Erik's mother? That was never mentioned. I have read and enjoyed the author's full-length books and am sorry this wasn't one of them. Too short to become the great book it could have been.

[Angie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chances

Sometimes life gives you a second chance at love and Erik is going to grab it with both hands. So happy they got their happy ending!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars
What I Liked: This is so, so cute. It’s short enough that I don’t really have much to say about it except that it was adorable. Erik really improved from when we first met him in Here We Go: he was a lot sweeter and gentler than I expected him to be, and the storyline with Peanut the dog was super cute. I was so, so upset when Peanut was returned to his family - I was surprised by how emotional I actually felt during that scene.
I liked both characters and I thought their relationship was good. I’m not usually a massive fan of second chance romances but I liked this one. They had good chemistry and I thought they were lovely together.
What I Didn’t: If I had any complaint, I’d like to have seen more of a resolution when it came to Erik’s father. His father has been an unpleasant, domineering character in both books in this duology so I would like to have seen this reckoned with a bit more - the closest we got was Erik walking out on him, but I wanted a more firm conversation between the pair about how his father’s behaviour has negatively impacted both him and Kristen. That said - this is a novella and was originally in a collection, so I get there’s not the room to cover topics like this.
Overall: It’s short and sweet with some really adorable moments, and for such a short book I was surprised by how well Shannon Stacey made me feel emotional about certain plot points.
Would I Recommend It?: Yes, if you want a quick, easy-to-read second chance hockey romance with a cute dog and a sweet couple.
Would I Read Something By The Author Again?: Yes.
Content Warnings: Animal suffering/injury.

Separate warning: the hero wants to adopt a dog he rescues but the dog’s original family claim it back, which the hero finds difficult - I’m not normally upset by this kind of storyline but it upset me here.

[Ann Lorz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I'd like this one. I read Erik's sister story first and I almost liked him but not totally. So, when I got in this story, I was surprised that he was a human being after all. I think poor Erik took his love for hockey way too far. He didn't allow for anyone thing or anyone to be part of his life. When he wasn't playing, he was working on how and what he did wrong.

Andi is the sweetest person and Erik didn't deserve her. He lost her for a reason. She is a way better person then he is. With time and being with her that might change, and I hope it does.

I was glad but that in the end Erik realized what is important. He stands up to his dad and picks the woman he loves over spending hours watching talking about hockey with his father. With this being such a short story, you don't get a lot of depth within the story but since it's a second chance type of story it all works.

Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww. Second chance romances are sweet. Throw in a lost dog the big, marshmallow hockey player gets attached to and I'm a goner.

The fact Andie's a vet and Erik has a scared pooch he wants to help out puts them in each others' orbit again. Some soul-searching (on Erik's part) and the undeniable attraction they share means they have a chance to turn their missed shot at happiness into something more.

Short and sweet. With a dog!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was a novella when I purchased it even though the 99c price tag was a dead giveaway LOL.
Short, easy and enjoyable read.
One of my favourite series ever is Shannon’s Kowalski series. I have gotten a bit behind in reading Shannon’s recent titles because they are a little pricier than most books I read these days so I need to spread them out in an attempt to stick to my book buying budget LOL
I must make a list of what I haven’t read and get up to date because I really do enjoy Shannon’s stories.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erik and Andie have a past and it didn't end well. It had been a year since they had seen each other and by chance they run into each other after Erik saves a puppy. Can these two rekindle what they once had? Do they still have strong feelings for each other even after all of this time?

I loved this story, however I wish it was a bit longer. It was a great little novella though and it was great to see Erik and Andie find each other again.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erik Burke has dedicated his life to hockey... and Andi Morgan was the one who got away—but when their paths cross once again, all he wants for Christmas is the chance to take another shot at love.

Why I started this book: I'm culling my TBR pile by looking for all the short stories and easily read books.

Why I finished it: Not bad for a 40 page romance... I will have to read his sister's book next.

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a sweet second chance story

What a sweet second chance story. Hockey was Erik's life. But the past year without Andi was harder than he imagined. He finally realized what he was missing: Andi

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

As much as I enjoyed reading Andi and Erik's story, someone summarized how I felt about the book better than I could. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3230644818?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

[Dorel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I read by Shannon Stacey. I loved ❤ this book's storyline. I loved ❤ the hot 🔥 & steamy scenes. I loved ❤ Andie's character. I loved ❤ Erik's character. I loved ❤ the ending. Awesome job Ms. Stacey.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick second chance romance between a hockey player and a lost dog's vet. Sweet, tender with emotional turmoil between the characters and the precious little dog. This is a feel good story with a very happy ending.

[Amy Vandal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, cute second chance read

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet & short

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lot of this story didn't make logical sense.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light read

Just another fun story for an easy, light read. Author always does a nice job of keeping it interesting without getting bogged down with misunderstandings.

[Nancy Simcoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hockey

Wish it was a little longer. It would have been hard to understand if I hadn't read the first book.

[Quinn Fforde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and sweet

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Erik and Andie get their second chance. Peanut was a cute way to get them back together.

[Helen M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful short about second chances in life. The main characters lost their direction from one another, however life circumstances turned positive for them. Enjoyed reading this story and the HEA.

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in Hockey Holidays